The full list of interviewees, followed by some behind the scenes commentaries made by the director Bruno Natal and researcher Chico Dub.
2MANYDJS
“We met 2ManyDJs in São Paulo, when they played in Brazil for the second time. The interview was shot on the roof of the hotel the DJ duo was staying in.”
ABA SHANTI-I
“UK sound system legend Aba Shanti-I was invited to be a part of the documentary while he was playing at Notting Hill Carnival 2004. A experience we won’t ever forget. The interview took place a couple of days later.”
ADAM FREELAND
“After climbing up to the DJ booth where Adam was playing, at Fabric, in London, we were able to secure another interview for the documentary. Because he was going to Los Angeles the next day, the only way to make it happen was to meet him at Heathrow Airport’s parking lot and do it there, with him seating on the pavement.”
AUDIO BULLYS
“Like most interviews, this one took place at Simon Frank, one half of the duo, home. Thanks to the help of their manager at the time, it was really easy to arrange everything.”
BASEMENT JAXX
“It wasn’t hard getting Simon Ratcliffe, one half of Basement Jaxx, to give a interview for the documentary. In his spare time, the producer likes to operate a sound system named after King Tubby’s legendary Hometown Hi-Fi. His house is decorated with Jah Shaka and Yelloman posters, the last one, signed by the artist.”
BEAT JUNKIES
“After attempting to contact them before, It was out of pure luck that the Beat Junkies came across our way, when they played in Rio de Janeiro. When they deconstructed a Jah Stitch tune on stage, it all fell into place.”
BILL LASWELL
“Thanks to WordSound’s Skiz Fernando, who provided the footage, Bill Laswell, one of the first dub masters to mix dub with other styles, is shown hard at work with Sly & Robbie in this documentary.”
BLACK ALIEN
“The Brazilian rapper, co-author of the international hit ‘Follow me, follow me’, is a reggae head and it all shows in his style, deeply influenced by many Jamaican DJs.”
BULLWACKIE
“Walking up to Bullwackie’s studio, in NY, one can hear the bass blasting from, at least, one block away. He keeps the door open when he expecting visit, so you really can’t miss it. Afterall, a Jamaican never loses his roots. Lloyd Barnes is responsible for the coolest Jamaican music mad in America in the 70s and early 80s. Thanks to German techno legends Basic Channel, his back catalogue was made available again.”
BUNNY LEE
“Bunny was one of the pivotal figures in the documentary, not only because of his important role as a reggae producer, but also because he guided us through Kingston on the back of his truck and helped us getting in touch with a lot of people we wanted to talk to. Big, big help.”
CONGO NATTY
“A jungle producer influenced by reggae in a level above the already high level of a regular jungle producer. A very dense interview, full of good thoughts, very hard to cut down. He picked us up at the train station dressed in Ethiopian trainers.”
DAVID KATZ
“Author of ‘People funny boy, the official Lee Perry biography, and ‘Solid Foundation: a oral history of reggae’, Katz was just the name we needed to help tie together all the stories told in other interviews. Katz’s Auralux is one of the most crucial reissues labels around.”
DENNIS BOVELL
“We met at a record shop near his home, just the perfect spot for a dub doc. He had his dreads and beard just cut by his mother and was almost unrecognizable. Priceless interview followed by a toast of Barbados’ rum afterwards.”
DJ SPOOKY
“Filmed in New York, by Tomas Salles, this interview arrived in the very last minute of editing. We are glad it did, since is one of the best articulated producers and circulates in both hip hop and experimental music circles.”
DON LETTS
“You can’t talk about the punk and reggae relations without going to Don Letts, a DJ at the Roxy club back in the beginning of the punk scene. A fellow documentarist and aware of the issues involved when filming, he even helped out with technical issues during his interview.”
DR. DAS
“Founding member of Asian Dub Foundation, one of the greatest bass player in dub music, Dr. Das talked about dub’s political side (yes, instrumental music can be politica too!). As a bonus, he brought his favorite dub albums to show us. A serious list, as you might guess.”
DREADZONE
“After running the same street up and down several times, Gregg Dreadzone had to actually pick the crew up at the corner in order to take us back to his studio, one of the tiniest, but dreadiest studios in the world.”
DUB PISTOLS
“We met Jason the same night we met Adam Freeland, at Fabric. The next day, he was at our hotel telling us his story.”
G-CORP
“A day travel to Birmingham specially to see the guys behind the G-Corp name. A microphone malfunction was quickly solved by the two, allowing us some time to listen to some great mashup records after the interview. Not to mention previously unrealesed material on the duo’s computer. A mesmerized Chico Dub couldn’t remember to mount the tripod!”
GLYN BUSH
“Ex-Rockers Hi-Fi member, Glyn got addicted to bass culture forever.”
GUSSIE CLARKE
“Owner of Anchor Studios, one of the most important in Jamaica nowadays, Gussie has a long story producing reggae. And he helped out a lot getting us in touch with some names from the past.”
HOWIE B
“This was one of the most fun interviews. Surrounded by his huge speakers, his Stranded board game and joking about the situation the whole time, it was hard to tell when he as being serious. Afterwards, going back thought the tapes, we learned that he wasn’t joking most of the time.”
KING JAMMY
“After many calls to Jamaica, we caught up with King Jammy in New York. He was the initial reason for going to the US, a trip that eventually, got us some more good interviews. Usually when you are in a waiting room you read magazines, right? This time we read covers and more covers of reggae albums, since the interview took place in VP Records huge warehouse.”
KODE 9
“Dubstep wasn’t as big as it is now when we met with Hyperdub records’ founder at the Ritzy cinema, in Brixton, in 2004, where a big dub night took place every week. Three years after that, the thing got massive.”
LEE “SCRATCH” PERRY
“You can’t have a dub documentary without having Lee Perry in it. Even so, that’s what almost what happened. The documentary already had a first cut ready when we were finally able to meet him, when he went to Rio for a gig. This interview changed the whole perspective of the documentary. It transformed what was then three years in the making, to three years waiting for the final interview. It was well worth the wait.”
LTJ BUKEM
“Pushing the boundaries of drum and bass further and further, LTJ still is well aware of the role played by reggae in what he does – the most trippy drum ‘n’ bass you’ll ever find – and really appreciates it. The interview was held on the sidewalk, right in front of his Good Looking Records office.”
MAD PROFESSOR
“A constant visitor in Brazil, Mad Professor received us in his Ariwa Studio, in London. Extremely nice, he got us in touch with Dennis Bovell and also with Jah Shaka, who unfortunately we end up never meeting. Just as a proof that the dub echoes never end, on the way out we had a glimpse of Professor’s son, Dark Phantom, at the mix.”
MARCELO YUKA
“A major figure in the developing of dub in Brazil, Marcelo Yuka is a founding member of O Rappa an currently has a solo project, called F.UR.T.O.”
MARIO CALDATO JR.
“The fourth Beastie Boy and the person responsible for bringing Lee Perry into a record session with the trio at Sean Lennon’s studio, causing a major accident involving one of Sean’s dad’s flute. Caldato is one of the best persons to talk about the relation of hip-hop and reggae.”
MUTABARUKA
“This dub poet’s roots are still firm in the 70s, but are not stuck there. He hosts the only radio show in Jamaica to play contemporary electronic music. At home, he gave us a memorable quote about the power of the bass.”
NAÇÃO ZUMBI
“Brazilian percussions, hip-hop beats, rock guitars, electronic effects and dub basslines, all in one band. A name that sums up the whole idea of the documentary.”
PETER KRUDER
“Responsible, along with Richard Dorfmeister, for one of the most important records in electronic music history, all it takes it’s one listen to ‘The K&D Sessions’ to see where Kruder’s inspiration came from.”
ROOTS MANUVA
“In order to interview Rodney Manuva, we had to sit and listen to a entire Roots Manuva’s rehearsal before a summer festival. If only waiting was always this fun.”
SLY & ROBBIE
“Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, the Riddim Twins, were interviewed in separate occasions, both of then in Kingston. More reserved, Robbie said only one thing, which made it to the final cut. Happy to talk, Sly told tons of stories.”
STEVE BARROW
“Author of ‘The rough guide to reggae’ and head of the reggae essential re-issue label Blood & Fire, Steve owns one of the greatest Jamaican 45s collections in the world. Not only that, he seems to have all the stories behind them inside his head. In the end, we received CDs of almost the entire B&F catalogue at the time. Not bad, not bad at all.”
SWITCH
“A house producer who loves dub. Enough said.”
THIEVERY CORPORATION
“Four hours on the bus each way on the same day, just to meet the guys behind such laid back tracks. Their haunted house like studio gets you just in the mood for relaxation.”
U-ROY
“In 2004, we couldn’t know that two years later The Originator would be in Brazil for a series of concerts. But a interview filmed on the porch of one of the fathers of hip hop, in Waterhouse, Kingston, is way more appealing.”
VICTOR “TICKLAH” AXELROD
“In his basement studio in his home, Ticklah showed us all his analogue an vintage equipments, including the piano used on the ‘Dub Side of the Moon’ sessions and some dubs on a tape reel one could swear it came from Jamaican early dancehall phase in the 80s.”
ZION TRAIN
“Another lucky win, Neil Perch came though Rio de Janeiro with his Zion Train in early 2007, making it possible a interview we tried to get since 2004. At their early days, Zion Train was considered too house for the reggae fans. And, at the same time, to roots for the house heads. That’s why we had to speak with Zion Train’s central figure.”